Liquid dispensing container



May 23, 1944. J. D. LEV IT 2,349,665

LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Jan. 50, 1941 V 5 Z 25 a a JACOB D. LEVIT, mvmon Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Jacob 11. Levit, Brooklyn, Y., assignor to Sidney S. Rand, 1\ lew York, N. Y.

Application January 30, 1941, Serial No. 376,568

5 Claims. (01. 222-487) The present invention relates to liquid dispensing containers, and more particularly to improvements in liquid containers of the type provided with dispensing devices.

In application Serial No. 335,479 filed May 16, 1940 by Sidney S. Rand, entitled Liquid dispensing contain-er, there is disclosed and claimed a receptacle for liquids which is characterized by its inclusion of'a liquid dispensing mechanism that has no protruding portions when in nondispensiiig state; the dispensing mechanism be ing so constructed that it provides a liquid outlet and air inlet to the container interior. More specifically, the dispensing mechanism comprises an air inlet valve and a liquid outlet valve which are substantially contiguous with opposed surfaces of the receptacle, and actuation of the air inlet valve causesv actuation of the liquid outlet valve. The specific Valve construction of the aforesaid type of receptacle possesses certain mechanical disadvantages.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container 'of the type disclosed in the Rand ap' plication with a more economical means for pourin'g out the contents and permitting air to' flow freely into the container. I Some of the features 'of this invention reside in the simplicity of its component parts, the large tolerances permissible in their manufacture, and the ease with which they can be assembled.

Other and further objects and features will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate identical parts in the diiferent figures. I

. In the drawing: i

Fig. 1 is a partial cross-section through a sheet metal container, along line l| of Fig. 3, showing in section the preferred form of the inven--- tion;

Fig. 2 is a section, similarto that in Fig. 1, illustrating a modification of the preferred form; Fig. 3 is a top View of a container into which the present invention has been incorporated; and Fig. 4 illustrates, in section, a modification of the spout used in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of another modification. 7

Referring now to the drawing, in Fig. l, numeral I is the top and 2 is the bottom of a sheet metal container. The sheet metal cup 3, completely soldered to the top I at its flanges 4, extends downwardly into the container. A hole 5 in the bottom of cup 3 is large enough to provide ample clearance for the valve stem 6 of valve 1.

Valve 1 has the shape of a truncated cone, and seats inthe valve seat 8 formed by piercing and deforming the bottom 2 of the container into the corresponding hollow shape. The walls of valve seat 8 converge upward, and an annular depresvalve 1 tightly in'seat 8. In the upper portion.

of the cup 3 adjacent the top I of the container is the rolled thread I4; Into this thread is screwed the cap l5. When cap [5 is entirely in place its outer free edges 2| lie below the plane of the edge I 5 of the container. The bottom of cap I5 is pierced and the edges ll 'of the aperture are turnedupward to coincide with the surface of the air valve button 18. The upper portion of button l8 has the shape of a truncated cone, and

q terminates at its base into a flat circular disc l9 with depending edges 20. The spring 22, compressed between the bottom of disc l9 and the bottom of cup 3, is held in place by edges .20 concentrically about spring l3. The spring 22 serves to' keep button l8 in the inoperative position sealed against'edges ll of the cap I 5.

The valves in Fig. l are shown in the sealed position, and it should be noted that there is a substantial space between disc I9 and valve stem 1 head l2.

The operation of the combination is simple. Assuming that the container is filled with liquid, in order to pour out some liquid through the spout, or valve seat 8, it is necessary to depress button I8. Theinitial movement of button I8, that is, until disc l9 contacts head l2, brings the interior of the container into communication with the atmosphere; additional movement of button l8 depresses valve stem 6 and valve 1 and out comes the fluid unimpeded by any vacuum within the container. With the removal of pressure on the button both button l3 and valve 1 go back to their sealing position.

The design of themechanisrn as illustrated has several advantageous features. In the first place, the component parts, except the springs, are made by stamping, forging or casting processes; no machined parts are required. Valve stem 6 is made of the same material as a wire nail and the head l2 thereon is similar to a nail head. The end ll of the valve stem is spread between the jaws of a clamp. Valve 1 and button iii are cross-hatched for a rubber or plastic material which could be made by die-casting; they could be forged out of soft metal. Cup 3 and cap l are metal stampings similar to those now used as bottle caps. The die to form valve seat 8 can be incorporated with the die that forms bottom 2 of the container. Because the valve seats are formed with steep angles of incline the valves are self-adjusting to compensate for wear so that no great precision need be exercised in their manufacture and assembly.

The mechanism can be assembled with ease. Valve seat 8, as stated above, is incorporated with bottom 2. Cup 3 is soldered to the top I of the container either before or after the container itself is completely assembled. Because there are no projecting parts the valve assembly can be brought quite close to the side of the container without interfering with the forming of edge l6 during the making of the container itself. Spring 13 is then slipped onto stem 6, and stem 6 is inserted through hole 5 and out of valve 8. Stem 6 as first made is longer than required so that as it is being inserted through the container the head l2 will extend enough beyond edge It so as to be easily manipulated. Valve 1 is then slipped onto the stem, then washer ID if necessary; then in order to place spring 13 under proper compression tension is applied to the stem and the stem end is spread and cut to the proper length. Finally, spring 22 is placed within cup 3 followed by button I4, and then the cap I5 is screwed on. If it is desired to prevent tampering with button It while in transport, a cover, similar to a crown cap 23 (shown by dashed line) may be snapped over the edge 2! of cap l5.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated an alternative design for valve 8. Here instead of permitting the material of the bottom 2 of the container to form the walls of valve seat 8, the valve seat is ground out of another material 24, and this material is fastened to bottom 2 within a depression 25 formed therein.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 2 differs from the mechanism in Fig. 1 in that the valve combination must be lifted instead of depressed in order for the valves to open. Here both top and bottom of the container are supplied with cups 3, and cap is screwed into the bottom cup. Valve stem .6 is substantially the same, but valve 1 is now an inverted truncated cone. The valve is kept against its seat by spring and the contents flow out of the container through the valve 1 through holes 26 in the sides of the lower cup 3. The head l2 of the valve stem is enclosed within the tightly closed box formed by cup 21 and its cover 28. The spring 29 is concentric about stem 6 and compressed between head I2 and the bottom of cup 21. Intermediate the bottom of cup 21 and the upper cup 3 is positioned the gasket 30 which acts as the air seal.

In operation: the spring 25' acting upon valve 1 seals the outlet and spring 29 compresses gasket 30 between cup 21 and 3 to seal the air inlet. Naturally spring 25' must be substantially stronger than spring 29. To open the valve 1 it is necessary to pull up on the valve combination, and to facilitate this cap 28 is provided with a pair of ears 3| thru which the wire handle 32 passes. The center 33 of cap 28 is depressed so that when the handle 32 is down it may be readily picked up.

The containers may be filled initially either through their spouts after assembly or through a separate port-hole not shown in the drawing. The conventional sign, as at 34, to indicate that both valve stem and container have been foreshortened serves to illustrate the fact that the length or size of the container do not materially aiTect the size of the dispensing mechanisms herein.

In Fig. 5 is shown in cross-section another modification of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l, in which both air inlet and liquid outlet valves are on the same side of the container, but at spaced points. The valve stem 6 of Fig. 1 is here replaced by the rocker element 40 hinged in a-usual manner to a short valve stem 66 at 4|. The rocker itself is fulcrumed at 42 to a support 43. The support 43, preferably made by a forging process, is riveted to the bottom of the container by having its free end 46 upset against washer 45 and thereby holding the material of bottom 2 between washer 45 and the shoulder 44 formed integral with the support. The free end 41 of the rocker is turned downwardly, and

terminates within cup 3 of the air valve, and takes the place of valve stem head 12 of Fig. l. The spring 48, concentric around valve stem 66, and compressed between the bottom 2 of the container and the washer 49, tends to keep the outlet valve closed. In all other respects the two valves are constructed substantially as described for Fig. l. The sole difference is the specific location of the valves.

This modification is designed for large containers whereby the containers may be set up on a shelf with bottom 2 vertical and the air valve uppermost. In this position the contents of the container may be dispensed through the spout 99 without holding the container, except that tilting would be necessary when the level of the con-' tents within is low. Spout 99 is canted as shown to facilitate pouring when face 2 is vertical.

Another advantage of this design, although having more parts than that in Fig. 1 is that the mechanism may be assembled on'bottom 2 b'e-' fore the complete container is formed. Since in actual practice many containers are filled with the contents before the top of the container is added, this design will not interfere with such filling practice.

What is claimed is: 1. In a container for liquids of the type having a plurality of opposed, spaced plane walls, a liquid outlet valve arranged in one wall and having a control element thereof projecting into the container interior, means biasing said valve into closed position, an air inlet valve located in a second wall opposite to said one wall, said inlet valve being located entirely below the plane of the second wall and having no portion thereof projecting beyond the plane of the second wall; means biasing said inlet valve into closed position, said inlet valve having an actuating element normally spaced from, and independent of. said control element, and said control element being so arranged relative to said air inlet valve actuating element that actuation of the latter to admit air into the container interior results in pressure on said control element and causes said outlet valve to open.

2. In a container for liquids of the type having a plurality of opposed, spaced plane walls, a liquid outlet valve arranged in one wall and having'a control element thereof projecting into the container interior, means biasing said valve into closed p sition, an air inlet valve located in a second wall opposite to said one wall, said inlet valve having a manually-depressible portion located entirely below the plane of the second wall, means biasing said inlet valve into closed position, and said control element being so arranged relative to said air inlet valve that actuation of the latter to admit air into the container interior causes said outlet valve to open, said air inlet valve having an actuatable element normally spaced from said control element and physically independent thereof, actuation of said actuatable element beyond a predetermined point causing simultaneous motion and actuation of said control element.

3. In a liquid container having opposed walls, a liquid dispensing mechanism located wholly within the container interior and between the planes of a pair of opposed walls, said mechanism comprising a liquid outlet valve in one of said pair of walls, the outlet valve having a control rod projecting towards the second wall, an air inlet valve having a depressible element normally biased to spaced relation with respect to be in the control rod, depression of said depressible element causing air to flow into the container interior, said control rod being actuated by the pressure of said depressible element in response to depression of said element beyond a predetermined distance.

4. In a receptacle, a material dispensing mechwall of the receptacle, said valve having a control rod projecting into the interior of the receptacle, means located adjacent the interior end of the rod for biasing said valve in normally closed position, an air inlet valve located at a wall opposite said first wall, said inlet valve having a rodactuating head located within the receptacle interior, means normally biasing said inlet valve to closed position and to maintain said actuating head spaced from said rod end, actuation of said inlet valve to open position causing said head to contact said rod end thereby to actuate said outlet valve to open position.

'5. In a liquid receptacle, a dispensing mechanism comprising independent liquid outlet and air inlet valves, means operatively associated with each valve normally to bias each of them to closed position, said valves having complementary elements adapted to come into physical contact upon actuation of said air inlet valve thereby to cause the liquid outlet valve to open, said biasing means for said valves being so constructed and arranged that said complementary elements are maintained normally physically independent of, and spaced from, each other and said air inlet valve being located entirely within the interior of said receptacle.

JACOB D. LEVIT.

anism comprising an outlet valve located in a" 

